The Medicare Child Dental Benefit scheme offers financial support for basic dental services for children aged 2–17.
From January 2014, eligible families, teenagers and approved care organisations received a letter to confirm eligibility.
But don’t worry if you have lost your letter of eligibility! Give the Infinity Dental Care team a call and we will be happy to look up your eligibility for you, but act soon before its too late to claim!
Here are the top 3 eligibility basics:
- Children aged between 2–17 years on any one day of the calendar year
- Receive, or their family, guardian or carer receives, certain government benefits such as Family Tax Benefit Part A for at least part of the calendar year
- Are eligible for Medicare
What is available to claim under the Medicare Child Dental Benefit:
Benefits for basic dental services are capped at $1,000 per child over 2 consecutive calendar years. If you do not use all of your $1,000 benefit in the first year of eligibility, you can use it in the second year if you are still eligible. Any remaining balance will not be carried forward at the end of the second year.
Benefits will cover a range of services including examinations, x-rays, cleaning, fissure sealing, fillings, root canals and extractions.
Benefits are not available for orthodontic or cosmetic dental work and cannot be paid for any services provided in a hospital.
Medicare Child Dental Benefit Schedule services will not count towards the Medicare Safety Net or the Extended Medicare Safety Net thresholds.
There has been no announcement to say if there will be anything replacing the Medicare Dental Benefit Scheme, but you can be sure that we will keep you informed!
Read more about the Medicare Child Dental Benefit here on the Human Services website.